Twas the Night Before Christmas
by FaithinBones
Summary: A Bones Christmas story.
1. Chapter 1

A Bones Christmas story for those of you reading fanfic during the holidays. I hope you enjoy it.

A/N: This story takes place in season 10. It is 3 chapters long. I plan to post chapter 2 tomorrow and chapter 3 on Tuesday.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Christmas tree was decorated and the lights twinkled in the dimly lit living room. He'd waited until his wife and child were asleep and he'd gone out to the driveway and removed the presents he'd hidden in the floorboard of the backseat of his SUV. Booth had kept them in his office until Christmas Eve to prevent snooping from his very nosey wife and daughter.

The presents now under the tree, Booth studied the scene to make sure it was perfect. He remembered the way his grandmother used to tell him that a joyous tree was needed for a happy holiday indeed. His grandparents loved Christmas and had always decorated the entire house and the front yard to celebrate. Booth had loved the excitement, the bright colors, the music, the food and the love in their house and always planned to keep their spirit alive in his house.

Making sure his daughter and wife were still asleep, he came back into the living room and walked over to the fireplace. The plate of chocolate chip cookies and the glass of milk that his daughter had placed there for Santa was calling his name. Booth picked up the plate and glass and carried it over to the couch where he sat down. Staring at the tree, he ate his cookies and drank his milk and was content. What more could a man ask for?

The sound of something hitting the front window drew his attention and to his surprise found that it was snowing outside. Excited, he placed the empty plate and glass on the coffee table and walked over to the window and watched the snow swirling to the ground. Leaning against the side wall next to the window, he smiled at the sight of snow sticking to everything outside. It wasn't often that they got a white Christmas and when they did he always felt it was a gift from God. The snow covered the dead grass and layered on the bare branches of the trees and bushes making them beautiful to behold.

Booth planned to build a snowman with his family in the morning after presents were open. He also wanted to build a snow fort and have a snow ball fight with his wife. She had a pretty accurate arm and it was a tossup who would win. He loved that she was willing to play with him. He loved games and to have a family that loved to play games with him was like a dream come true.

The snow coming down harder, Booth watched as it swirled faster, beating the window harder. Surprised to see his gentle snow fall turn more ominous, he noticed that the wind had picked up and the snow was accumulating at a rapid pace. Worried, he turned on the TV in time to catch a broadcaster talking of the blizzard that was now striking the DC area. Not sure why he hadn't known about its impending arrival or why his wife hadn't mentioned it, Booth heard the weather forecaster predict a possible accumulation of two feet of snow and realized that it was a real possibility that they would be snowed in.

Moving away from the window, he moved over to the kitchen, opened cabinets and the fridge and checked to see if they had an adequate supply of food if they were snowed in for more than a few days. After checking Booth laughed at the absurdity of his search. His fridge and cabinets were filled with the food he planned to use to make his Christmas dinner. His wife had fussed at his excessive shopping but hey, Christmas didn't happen every day and he wanted to make sure they had plenty of food just in case someone dropped by. You never knew who might come for a visit on Christmas day and he wanted to make sure he had plenty. No one would ever go hungry from his house. His grandfather had raised him to be a generous man and he never forgot there were those out there who didn't have a family to spend the holidays with. If one of his bachelor friends showed up at his door, that person would be made welcome.

The lights flickering, Booth realized that they were about to lose their power. Standing in the kitchen, he waited to see what would happen and sure enough, the room was suddenly plunged into darkness. Disappointed that the lights were no longer glowing on his tree, Booth decided that he belonged in bed. Carefully moving down the hallway, he kept his hand on the wall until he reached his bedroom door. Moving slowly he passed his bedroom and made his way down the hallway to his daughter's bedroom. Stopping at her bedroom door, he cautiously opened the door and poked his head into the room. His daughter's gentle snore telling him she was sleeping peacefully, Booth smiled and quietly closed the door.

Moving back down the hallway, he entered his bedroom and made his way in the fairly dark room, his feet cautiously moving across the floor until he found his bed. With his hand on the end of the bed, he moved around to his side of the bed, sat down, removed his house slippers and laid down next to his still sleeping wife. The snow pelting his bedroom windows, Booth soon fell asleep, knowing that his little girl would probably wake him in a few short hours.

Oooooooooooooooooo

He was cold and he was in pain. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew something was wrong. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw an odd sight. The windshield of his truck was cracked and it appeared that the front of his truck was covered in tree branches. Confused, he felt a stabbing pain on the side of his head. His hand cautiously feeling his skull, Booth felt a tacky wetness adhering to his fingers. Moving his hand so that he could look at it, he saw bright red blood covering his fingers and he knew he was in trouble.

The sight of the blood on his hand mesmerized him and he lost track of a short period of time. He'd faded out and Booth realized that he might have a concussion. He was certain his skull wasn't fractured, but then again what did he know? He was just a cop, a good cop he knew, but not a doctor. Speaking of doctors, Booth slowly turned his head and found the seat next to him empty. Worried, he tried to remember if his partner was supposed to be with him or not. His mind a jumble, he decided that he must have been alone when whatever happened had happened.

Patting his jacket pockets, he found his phone and turned it on. He forced his eyes to focus on the screen and found that he had no bars. Cursing his luck, he placed the phone back in his pocket. The pain in his head making it difficult to think, Booth leaned his head in this hands and moaned. He knew that he needed to do something, but he wasn't sure what it was he was supposed to do.

 _Maybe this is a nightmare. Maybe I'm home in bed. Yeah, maybe I should just close my eyes and wait. I'm home in bed. I shouldn't have eaten all those damn cookies. Maybe the next time . . . maybe the next time . . ._ unable to focus on that thought, Booth closed his eyes and rested.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Groggy, Booth woke up and turned his bleary gaze around him. Disappointed that he wasn't home in bed, he patted his jacket pocket and searched for his phone again. Surprised to find he had one bar on his phone, he made a phone call. The phone ringing twice, Brennan quickly answered it. "Brennan."

His speech slurred, Booth tried to focus on his call, "I need you, Bones . . . I don't know where I am . . . I thought I was at home . . . in bed dreaming . . . but this isn't a dream . . . I . . ." The call dropping off, he lost his connection. "Great . . . great." Ending his call, he placed the phone back into his pocket and after pushing the deployed airbag down, he opened the truck door, leaned out and threw up. After his stomach was empty, Booth closed the door and leaned back against the seat. Closing his eyes, he fell into a deep sleep.

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Is this interesting?


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for reviewing my story. I really appreciate it and it is an incentive to keep writing.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The storm abated and the power had come back on sometime during the early morning hours. Booth had enjoyed a deep sleep until a small hand forcefully shook his arm. "Daddy, Santa came."

His eyes popping open, Booth turned on to his side and smiled at his daughter. "How do you know, Sweetheart? Didn't we agree that you would stay in bed until me and Mommy got up?"

Twisting the hem of her pajama top in her hands, Christine moved her gaze to her bare toes and assured her father, "I didn't go in to the living room Daddy. I just peeked around the corner and looked at the tree. I can see presents. He came Daddy."

Reaching out, Booth placed his hand on his daughter's arm and pulled her closer to the bed. "It's alright, Honey. I just wanted to know how you knew." Leaning over he kissed the end of her nose. "Go wait for me in the hallway."

Excited, Christine nodded her head and ran from the room.

Turning to lie on his back, Booth sighed and rubbed his eyes. Patting his wife's hip, he tried to wake her. "Up and at 'em Bones. It's present time. Santa came."

Brennan opened one eye and peered into the still dark room. "What time is it?"

Sitting up, Booth glanced at the clock and saw the bold green numbers, 5:48. "Um, it's best to just get up and not worry about the time . . . Come on, Bones. Our little girl wants her presents and so do I."

Irritated with her husband, Brennan rolled over, looked at the clock and voiced her outrage. "It's 5:48, Booth . . . 5:48. I thought we agree to open presents at a decent hour this year."

Torn between appeasing his wife and pleasing his daughter, Booth realized that he would have to side with his baby girl. "It's Christmas Bones . . . all bets are off on Christmas. The clock doesn't matter . . . You can go back to bed after we open presents."

Resigned, she realized that Booth's love of Christmas and their child's need to see what Santa Claus had brought was just going to mean that there was going to be a little sleep deprivation. Brennan exhaled deeply and reluctantly sat up. "This is not my idea of a holiday, Booth. I should be able to sleep late on a holiday. You agreed that we would stay in bed until at least seven this year."

Unconcerned about promises he couldn't keep, Booth left their bed, grabbed his robe, placed his slippers on and walked over to the bedroom door. "Don't be a Grinch. It's just once a year."

Glaring at her husband, Brennan whipped her covers aside and stood up. "I am not a Grinch. I am not green and I do not steal presents from unsuspecting children. I am merely irritated that you broke your word to me."

Booth realized he couldn't win, so he shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the door. "It's Christmas, Bones. Our daughter comes first. She has to come first." Striding out of the room, Booth swooped down and picked up his daughter. Laughing he strode down the hallway with her in his arms. "You're getting pretty big, Sweetheart. I may not be able to carry you pretty soon."

Squealing in delight, Christine hung on to her father's neck. "I'm a big girl, Daddy."

His heart almost melting at the sound of his daughter's laughter, Booth grinned as he carried her into the living room and placed her down next to the tree. "Okay Munchkin, you know the drill. Save the bows and ribbons, because we can reuse those. Don't shake presents because we don't want a repeat of last year's broken glass ornament fiasco. Mommy was pissed . . . Mommy was upset with me all day, so, no shaking presents."

Giggling, Christine searched under the tree for presents for her. "Mommy told you not to shake it Daddy."

"Yeah, well I should have listened to her." Sitting down on the couch, Booth watched his daughter pile her presents over near the TV. "It was a collector's NHL ornament too. I won't shake any more presents, believe me."

Still irritated with her husband, Brennan entered the room. "I've told you not to shake presents before." Moving over to the tree, Brennan searched for her and husband's presents, making two piles near the coffee table. "It's too bad I couldn't replace it. It was a limited edition item."

The past being the past, Booth shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. Win some lose some. It was the thought that counted and it was a great present, Bones. I loved it even though I didn't get to keep it."

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The coldness penetrating through his coat, Booth woke up shivering. Feeling weak, he looked around the cab of his SUV and remembered his gym bag in the back seat. Tired and in pain, he pulled the bag to the front seat, opened it and found a dirty pair of sweats and four towels. He also located two bottles of water in the bottom of the bag.

Booth wrapped the sweat pants around his boots and the sweat shirt and one of the towels across his knees and lap. He unzipped his coat, placed one of the towels inside across his chest and around to his back and then re-zipped his coat. Thirsty, he drank half of one of the bottles of water and carefully twisted the cap back on the bottle. Placing both bottles on the seat next to him, he took the final two towels and draped them across his shoulders and arms. A little warmer, he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and was reminded that he had a phone.

Removing the phone from his coat pocket, he turned it on and found one bar. Weary, he made a phone call.

 _Booth where are you?_

His voice slurred, Booth closed his eyes, trying to overcome the pounding inside his head. "I don't know . . . I'm hurt, Bones . . . I . . ." Losing consciousness, Booth didn't hear his wife's words.

 _Booth, help is on the way. Angela used the GPS on your phone and in your truck. She was able to pinpoint where you are up to a twenty mile radius. That's the nearest tower near you. The Virginia State police are looking for you right now . . . Booth . . . Booth answer me . . . Booth. Booth I love you. You don't have permission to die . . . Remember? You are not allowed to die . . . Booth?_

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So is this interesting?


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

They'd barely started to unwrap their presents when Booth's phone rang. Not in a hurry to answer it, Booth stood up slowly from the couch and walked over to the kitchen counter to retrieve his phone from the phone charger.

After answering the phone, Booth's expression turned to anger and yet he managed to keep that anger out of his voice. "I'll be in as soon as I can get dressed."

Ending his call, Booth returned to the couch and sat down next to Brennan. "I have to go in. Someone walked into a midnight mass at a church in Wheeling and killed eleven parishioners and injured ten more. The survivors recognized the shooter and the State Police in West Virginia and Virginia are looking for him. They think he's going to head back to his home in Ruckersville, Virginia. His daughter was one of the injured. She said he said something about Loft Mountain which is in Shenandoah Valley State Park."

Her gaze upon her child, Brennan asked him, "Do they need me?"

His fingers twining with her fingers, Booth smiled. "No, you stay here and celebrate Christmas with Christine. I'm not sure how long I'll be if this is a manhunt. I'll throw some clothes in a bag, just in case."

Grasping their clasped hands with her left hand, Brennan leaned over and kissed him. "This isn't how I expected to spend Christmas morning. Please take care of yourself and call me when you can. The roads are probably terrible from the accumulation of snow and ice . . . I'll cook your turkey for you and you'll be able to heat it up along with the other dishes I plan to make when you come home."

His lips pressed against her lips, Booth kissed her until he felt a small hand pull on his robe. "Daddy do you really have to leave?"

Breaking his kiss, Booth turned towards his daughter and pulled her onto his lap. "I'm afraid so, Monkey. You and Mommy are going to open presents and celebrate Christmas. When I come back I'll open my presents and we'll get to see what Santa brought me."

"Okay." Hugging him, Christine clung to him. "I don't want you to go, Daddy. I want you to stay with me and open presents now."

His arms around her, Booth tried to assure her. "I know you don't want me to go, but Daddy has to go help catch a very bad man. I'll be back as soon as I can." Moving her off of his lap, Booth stood up. With a smile aimed at Brennan, Booth spoke quickly. "If you don't want to cook the turkey, that's okay. I know you don't like to cook dead animals if you can help it. I'll cook it when I come back home."

Standing Brennan placed her hand on his arm. "No, I'll do it. You just be careful and come back to us and I'm sorry I was irritated with you earlier this morning."

He knew she wasn't a morning person, so he hadn't really cared that she had been grumpy. Kissing her once more, Booth assured her, "That's okay, I love it when you're a little grumpy. You're so cute."

Pushing him away, Brennan corrected him, "You need to go, Booth and I wasn't grumpy. I was just annoyed which is not the same thing."

Amused, Booth turned and hurried down the hallway. "Whatever you say Bones."

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The driver's side door of the SUV suddenly opened and frigid air invaded the inside the cab. The State trooper reached in and placed his hand on the injured man's throat to see if he had a pulse. Relieved that the Agent was alive, the policeman called out. "Hey he's alive." These words sparked action from the two men with him. Carefully, they removed Booth from his truck and carried him uphill to the road above. Once they were there they placed him in one of their warm cruisers and wrapped him in blankets. Calling for help, they waited for the EMT to arrive, keeping an eye on their accident victim.

Once the EMT's arrived, Booth was transferred from the police car to the ambulance where the ambulance technicians could work on him. Once they felt he was stable, they drove to the hospital in Harrisonburg where he could be taken care of.

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The sound of his daughter weeping pulled him from his deep sleep. Opening his eyes, Booth turned his head and spotted his wife sitting on the chair next to him holding his young daughter in her arms. Not sure where he was, Booth croaked out, "Hey." Clearing his throat he tried again, "Hey, why are you crying Monkey?"

Relieved that her father was awake, Christine stood up on her mother's lap and threw herself on her father. Alarmed, Brennan stood up and tried to pull the clinging child from her father just incase she was hurting him.

"No, Bones, it's okay." His arm around his daughter, Booth held her against his chest while she cried in relief. Soothing her, his eyes remained on Brennan.

Once the child was calm Brennan was able to move her back into her arms and she sat down again. "You see, I told you that your Daddy was going to be alright."

Sniffing, Christine nodded her head and kissed her mother. Facing her father, the young child rubbed her nose. "I was afraid."

His heart almost breaking, Booth tried to assure her and Brennan, "Hey . . . hey now, I'm fine . . . I . . ." Puzzled, Booth frowned and asked Brennan, "Why am I in the hospital?"

Her arms around her child, Brennan tried to explain while keeping in mind that Christine was present. "Your SUV left the road, ran down an embankment and hit a tree. You're suffering from a concussion and hypothermia. You also have bruising on your chest where the air bag hit you. The road was icy so the State Police think you lost control."

Cautiously, Booth moved his hand and felt the side of his head. Feeling a bandage, Booth moved his hand away and looked at his clean fingers. "I saw blood . . . my head . . ." Gathering his thoughts, Booth closed his eyes and tried to remember. "I don't remember what happened . . . I was in the truck and I was cold and . . ."

Placing her hand on his arm, Brennan smiled. "We'll talk about it later, Booth. The important thing is you're going to be fine."

Booth tried to smile and failed. "I kept dreaming about you and Christine . . . Christmas . . . I'm sorry I messed up Christmas . . . I would have stayed if I could have . . . I . . ."

Gripping his arm, Brennan assued him, "You didn't mess up Christmas, Booth. You had a job to do and you did it . . . We didn't open our presents. Christine and I decided that you needed to be with us when we opened presents from Santa Claus so they're still under the tree waiting for you to come home."

Excited, Christine interrupted her parents. "Mommy and I are going to cook the turkey and the pretend turkey and stuffing and everything when you come home and we're going to open presents and . . . and sing carols and have a snow ball fight and everything. Mommy said it isn't Christmas without you and we need you to come home so we can have Christmas cause we're family."

His emotions running high, Booth looked at his wife and partner in amazement. "You waited? You didn't open presents yet?"

Slowly shaking her head, Brennan smiled. "Of course we waited Booth. We're a family and we do things together. When we get you home, we're going to open our presents and then we're going to have our Christmas dinner. We couldn't do those things without you."

"You're amazing, Bones." Feeling a tear slide down his cheek, Booth ignored it. "I love you so much."

Her own emotions barely under control, Brennan smiled at her husband. "I love you too Booth. You are my family, you have been for a very long time. I will not celebrate Christmas without you."

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Any good? I hope it entertained you.


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